By BRUCE MEYERSON, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Published 10:00 pm, Sunday, May 27, 2007

NEW YORK -- Maybe it's time to stop grumbling about your cell phone company and just start your own.

That's what Rod Farthing did, at 2:30 a.m. no less. Oh yeah, it took him just a few minutes to get Farthing Mobile up and running, replete with a selection of national calling plans and cell phone models.

Business is slow so far: Since the April launch, Farthing has signed up two subscribers, himself and his son. But he has two prospects in his wife and another son.

Well, no, Farthing didn't actually build a cellular network or develop a billing system and everything else that one needs to run a mobile phone business.

Instead, he created Farthing Mobile through Sonopia, a new "do-it-yourself" service that enables groups and individuals to design their own cell brands with a healthy dose of social networking gone mobile. Sonopia buys airtime from Verizon Wireless to provide service, a fact hidden by each group's brand on the phone's screen.

"I don't expect to get rich off of it," said Farthing, 50, a self-described "cell phone junkie" in Toledo, Ohio, who is tailoring his cell service to people interested in technology. He's also using it for a class project in an e-business course he teaches at a local college. "If I get up to 100 members, I'll be happy. If I get up to 50, I'll be happy."

Since Sonopia's public launch in early April, about 1,000 of these customized cell phone companies have been created, including about 100 by the startup's employees.

But the majority of Sonopia's growing roster of wireless communities were started by individuals, families and tiny groups with specialized interests.

There's "Aviation History Mobile" with 13 members, the 10-member "Mums in Business," and the five-member "Scrabble Mobile" featuring weekly contests to devise the highest word score with a set of letter tiles.

While every tiny cell company adds to the bottom line, non-profit organizations are a major focus. Sonopia points to the devotion people show for favorite charities, community groups and sports teams as a natural selling point. A small percentage of the monthly phone bill kicks back to the organization, providing an easy way for members to pad their financial support for a cause.

"If you take a cheerleader squad, there is very high affinity. But if you take a big brand like American Airlines, you don't find a lot of American Airlines devotees," said Juha Christensen, a former Microsoft Corp. executive who is the founder and chief executive of Sonopia Corp.

Sonopia provides tools for each community to share information, photos and other multimedia content on the phone, as well as a dedicated Web site that can be accessed by non-subscribers who just want to be part of that community. So far, about two of every three members are phone subscribers, while the rest are Web-only participants.

Sonopia Corp. has drawn $21.3 million in venture capital, including $12.7 million raised just a few weeks ago. It won't disclose how many paying customers it has, but says its break-even point is about 100,000 subscribers.

Sonopia gives each virtual cell company 3 percent to 8 percent of the monthly proceeds, depending on how many paying customers they have.

Users can choose from a wide array of individual and family calling plans similar to those offered by the major cell phone companies. There's a choice of four handsets, with prices ranging from free with a two-year contract to $130 with a one-year commitment.

"This particular program is a wonderful opportunity for us to promote and advance the art of animation," Antran Manoogian, president of the International Animated Film Society, said of the group's newly affiliated cell phone company, "Animation Wireless." Manoogian said he hopes to draw both animation professionals and fans, using the phone to share news and animated video clips.